This will help you get a better idea of what tile, hardwood, carpet, plumbing fixtures and light fixtures costs for your rehabs.#3 Contact Local Contractors for Labor Pricing / Hire a GC to ConsultCall local Subcontractors and get budget pricing for common repairs on your typical rehab project.For example, call a roofer and ask what their average cost per Square of Architectural Asphalt Shingle Roofing would be on a 1,500 sf house, with a 6/12 pitch.Note: Some contractors will be reluctant to share pricing without seeing the property, but tell them you are just looking for a rough budget number you can use on future projects.You can also pay a General Contractor a consulting fee of a couple of hundred dollars (per house) to walkthrough a few properties with you and provide a detailed estimate of prices that you can use as your 'menu for future projects.#4 Compile Your Prices into a Spreadsheet or Estimating SoftwareOnce you start to get a better understanding of Labor and Material costs you will want to store this data into a spreadsheet or software that you can use to help you streamline the estimating process.The Book on Estimating Rehab Costs comes with a spreadsheet that you can use to help you populate your own database of labor pricing and material pricing.

My neighbor bought a 4/3 block house with cement tile roof.

Reglaze the bathroom tile and reposition the toiletThe den was added to the home and the only way to get to the den is through one of the bedrooms.

Two of my tile guys are both booked out for two months.

The roof in this property is my main concern with it being slate and I noticed it had a couple of loose tiles.

Reglaze the bathroom tile and reposition the toiletThe den was added to the home and the only way to get to the den is through one of the bedrooms.

Try and have them bid " apples for apples".1- Windows   , Vinyl, Low E.2- Six panel doors and no jambs but new trim.3- two tone paint, these two colors.4- New bathroom vanity, toilet, and remove old tile with new tile. 12' X 24".Etc , etc.Brent is smart and great article, I am just adding my point of view from a seasoned  Re- hab contractor!               

I can see through pictures that some parts of the house could use a touch up, paint, new appliances, or tile in the bathroom but I'm having trouble quickly understanding what this number would be and what I should make as an initial offer. 

It currently has tiled countertop in kitchen & Formica-like countertops in 3 bathrooms.

Purchase price: $102,500 Cash invested: $28,000 Rehabbed single family ranch property by replacing all trim, flooring, removing kitchen wall for open concept, new kitchen cabinets & island, replaced roof, updated electrical, new heat pump and A/C, complete Master Bathroom(with tile shower), and adding egress window in basement.